Useless Ruses
by hmweasley
Summary: While Scorpius is in Germany for an apprenticeship, they write letters to each other until it becomes too much for Scorpius to keep up with. Eventually, Rose is tired of their stupidity.


Dear Scorpius,

How are things in Germany? I bet you're still really excited, getting to live your dream and all. Is the apprenticeship everything you thought it would be? I know you're going to do amazing. There's not a person around better qualified to learn Pensieve-making from the master than you. I bet you're blowing everyone away already.

I know it's only been a week since you left, but things are already weird here without you. I keep wanting to tell you things, and then I realize that I can't just Floo to your house anymore to see you. But don't worry about me. I'll get used to it soon, and I can always write. Things are mostly good here anyway. Work's as boring as always, but what else would you expect?

Anyway, you have to tell me all about the internship and Germany! How are the people and the food and your flat? Lay it all on me. I bet you hate not being able to just ramble on all the time, so I promise I won't be mad if you send me a twenty page letter. I'll read the whole thing. Promise.

Your Friend,

Albus Potter

* * *

Dear Albus,

You know me so well. I have so much to tell you! Sadly, I don't have much time to write this letter, so I'll try to stick to the most important stuff. When I have time, I promise you'll get that twenty page letter. I'd rather write it than some of the other stuff I have to do, like wash my clothes. (I'm not doing well with the whole chore thing, Albus. Don't tell anyone else, but I never realized how much time it takes to clean, even with magic. Feel free to mock me because I know you will.)

Despite my troubles keeping my flat habitable, everything with the apprenticeship is beyond amazing. I miss you so much, Albus. You have no idea. Not having you around is every bit as hard as I thought it would be, but I do think I'm where I'm supposed to be. Master Schmidt is a genius, and on top of that, the other apprentices are nice too. They haven't mocked how enthusiastic I get even once. Can you believe that?

Master Schmidt has so much to tell me, and I want to know all of it. I feel like I really can become a master of Pensieve-making by the time I leave here. But I'm learning so much more than that too.

Yesterday, Qingzhao (one of the other apprentices who's from China) and I started learning how to reinforce the material of the Pensieve to keep it from corroding over centuries. While we were working, she was telling me about the wizarding school she went to, and it was kind of embarrassing how little I knew about it. I knew they learned spells in Old Chinese instead of Latin and English like we did, but I didn't know that their classes are also held in multiple languages too! Since they don't have any language requirements for the school, they let the students choose which language to take classes in. It's so cool!

Oh, no! I really wanted to tell you about Master Schmidt's theory about how Pensieve memories fading over time corresponds to the lifetime of human neurons, but I have to be at the workshop in fifteen minutes.

I'm really, really sorry this is so short!

I hope you're doing great!

Sincerely,

Scorpius Malfoy

* * *

 _One Year Later_

Dear Albus,

I'm sorry about how long it's been since I wrote to you. Things have been pretty busy here at the workshop. There's so much to learn in so little time, and on top of my training, I've had the super secret project I mentioned in my last letter. Master Schmidt thinks that Qingzhao and I could be onto something important.

She also doesn't think we can finish our project by the time our one year apprenticeships are over, but she's offering to teach us for another year! Can you believe that? Not many people get this chance, but she thinks that Qingzhao and I are two of the most promising apprentices she's ever had.

I really do miss you and everyone else back in England. I wish I had time to visit, but there's hardly even time to sleep these days.

Whatever happens, I promise that I'll be back home after another year. We'll have so much to catch up on. I can't wait!

I hope things are going well back in England. Just know that I love hearing from you, even when I don't have the time to write back. I read all of your letters.

Sincerely,

Scorpius

* * *

Dear Scorpius,

It's nice to hear from you. I was starting to worry that you'd died or something, but when I went to Malfoy Manor, your dad said I should just be patient because you're busy. You've written to him too, right? Because I think he was mostly lying when he told me that everything was fine. He might be close to setting off for Germany himself if you don't write him back too.

Of course your research is going well. You're basically a genius, so no surprise there. And being a genius means making a lot of time for genius things. I get it. Just write to me when you can. I'll even accept, "I got your letter," and nothing else, so I don't feel as if I'm writing into the void.

Anyway, James quit his job, and there's quite a bit going on right now. I'll tell you more about it when you aren't so busy.

Sincerely,

Albus Potter

* * *

Albus,

James quit his job!? But I always thought he loved it there. What happened? How did everyone react? What did your parents say? I don't care how busy I am. You can't leave me hanging like that! I need the whole story!

How much have I missed?

You have to tell me more, Albus!

Scorpius

* * *

Dear Idiot,

I can't believe I'm writing this letter, but I'll be honest: I'm fed up.

Let me tell you how things have been since you went off to Germany: Albus has been sulking like you died or something. At first, I ignored it and went about my own business. Obviously, you two were always way too attached to each other, but he'd get over it. And if he didn't, you'd be back in a year. But then you stayed in Germany, and Albus isn't getting over anything.

Sure, he seems fine most of the time, but he's sulkier since you left, and I didn't think that was possible. Everyone sees it, so everyone (except me, obviously) couldn't wait for you to be back so Albus can stop being so irritable all the time.

I can't believe you decided to stay in Germany for a year after hardly writing to Albus for months. That's some low shit, Scorpius Malfoy. Not even I would have expected that from you. Not when it comes to Albus. But now we have grumpy teenage Albus back, and I really hate grumpy Albus. He's more annoying than usual Albus.

This has never been my business, but I've lost all faith in the two of you figuring out your shit on your own, so I don't care anymore if I'm overstepping boundaries. I just want everything out in the open so the two of you can actually figure it out. So, here's the big "news" that you should have figured out for yourself years ago:

For reasons not understood to anyone else, Albus is in love with you. He has been for years. This isn't something he's ever told me (I figure I should at least give him some plausible deniability whenever you confront him), but he does. This is a fact that every single person who knows the two of you is aware of. I bet even your dad isn't even oblivious enough to not have seen it. Go ahead and ask him.

Now you're staying away for another year, and Albus is sitting around here like a lovesick puppy who's been rejected. For the love of Merlin, just visit him for a weekend or something. If you don't, I may drag him to Germany myself, and trust me when I say, I will make that as uncomfortable for the two of you as I can.

Sincerely Hope You Figure the Rest Out Yourselves,

Rose Granger-Weasley

* * *

Dear Albus,

I don't know if you know about the letter Rose sent me, but she wrote to me saying you're in love with me. It came about an hour ago, and to be honest, I've been staring at it ever since trying to think about what I should write to you. But I'm never going to be sure what to say, so I'm forcing myself to write this without having a plan beforehand. For better or worse.

For all I know, Rose is just extremely mistaken or (and I really wouldn't put this past her) she's trying to play a particularly nasty joke on me. Something about the letter makes me think she was serious though.

And I really need to tell you something, Albus: I'm in love with you. The whole reason I took this apprenticeship in the first place was that I thought I needed time away from you in order to get over you. (I mean, I wanted to learn how to make Pensieves too, but there was more to it.) Being around you every day knowing that you saw me as nothing more than a best friend really hurt, and I thought that, in Germany, I would be able to clear my head. Then I could come back to England and be over you.

But that hasn't been what happened. I miss you every day, and while I never lied to you about being busy, I guess I kept putting off writing to you because I wanted to create even more distance. It felt like the only way I would get over you, and when Master Schmidt asked me to stay another year, I accepted because I wasn't sure if I was ready to face you and not feel anything.

If what Rose said is true though, then every stupid thing I was trying to do was worthless. I'll have been a complete idiot, but I'm willing to own up to that if you like me back.

If you don't like me, then I guess I've just made things monumentally worse for myself, but considering being here in Germany hasn't done a single thing I'd hoped it would when it comes to you, I have to throw myself out there.

Love,

Scorpius

* * *

Dear Scorpius,

Please tell me you meant what you said it true and you aren't just trying to make me feel better because Rose went and shattered the shitty lie I'd tried so hard to keep up. Because I don't think I could take it if I let myself believe you and then it wasn't true.

I love you, Scorpius. I love you so much. I have for years, but I knew nothing could happen between us. As sad as I was when you left, I knew you'd always do something great like your amazing apprenticeship, while I'm just destined to work behind the counter at my uncles' shop because they're family and took pity on me.

As cliche as it sounds, you're too good for me, and I was lucky enough to have you as a friend. That was enough, or at least, I tried to make it enough.

I don't know exactly what Rose told you because I swear I had no idea she was sending you anything, but what I can tell you is that I do love you, and you being in Germany has been really hard. And if there's any chance you love me back, I'll take the risk. I've gone so long without you that I have to at least try.

I know you're busy, so it's okay if you take awhile to respond. If you're not really interested though, I can get over it, so please don't stop talking to me.

Sincerely,

Albus

* * *

Dear Mum and Dad,

Germany is really nice. I like it here a lot. Yesterday, Scorpius took me to his favourite restaurant, and it was delicious. If you come visit, we should go there, so you can experience it for yourself.

I hope I didn't scare you guys too much when I left suddenly. Tell Uncle George that I'm sorry again, would you? I'll write him too, but I feel really bad about it. I probably don't deserve my job back when we come back to England.

Speaking of jobs, I'm going to try to find something to do here in Germany, since Scorpius' research is going to take at least another year. I have no idea what since I can't speak German, but of course, Scorpius has picked up some of the language and offered to teach me. We'll see how that goes.

I'll write again soon to let you know how everything's going. I hope everything's well back in England.

Love,

Albus

* * *

Dear Albus,

Don't worry about us back at home. Everything's fine. Your dad and I are just happy that you're happy. Be sure to keep us updated about what you get up to in Germany. We want to hear from you!

Give Scorpius our best as well. It can't be easy to have you as a distraction when he has so much work to get done.

We love and miss both of you!

Love,

Mum

* * *

 **Prompts:**

 **HPFC**

Favourite Character Boot Camp: Scorpius Malfoy - worthless

 **Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments**

Assignment 10 - Religious Education: task 1 - write about something that lasts longer than expected

Seasonal Challenge - Days of the Year: Letter Writing Day - write a letter!fic

Seasonal Challenge - Audrey's Dessert Challenge: marshmallows - Scorpius/Albus

Advent Calendar: Fanon Pairings - Scorpius/Albus

Word count: 2,281


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